


The Future a Mother Sees

by danishdaddy



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Acceptance, Bella Carisi adores Barba, Dialogue Heavy, Family Bonding, M/M, Meet the Family, Tessa Carisi loves her children, the tiniest amount of homophobia like its not even actual homophobia but only kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:48:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danishdaddy/pseuds/danishdaddy
Summary: At this point Sonny probably should have taken heed of his Bella’s warning look, silently telling him to brush it off as nothing and to not speak more on the subject. But Sonny was feeling emboldened, and after spending all of yesterday with the man in question he didn’t think twice before speaking.“A long while, maybe you guys could meet next week at dinner.”Bella put her head in her hands.His mother’s face lit up, “Really? That’s a first. So why don’t you tell us about her?”“Well,” He says as he sticks his fork in a slice of roast beef, “First of all she’s a he.”
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 92





	The Future a Mother Sees

**Author's Note:**

> Finally something long haha  
> With this I just wanted to go into the kind of grey area of acceptance of a gay child, because 9/10 it's portrayed as a hard yes or a hard no, when I think there's a little bit of a grey area. I had fun with this so I hope y'all enjoy reading it! Might do a prequel to how Bella found out but that's for later.

Forks and knives clink against ceramic plates with loud Staten Island accents piling on top of each other to accompany it. Gina Carisi is regaling her family with stories of her most recent lover. 

“I think he's really the one.” She sighs. 

“You said that about the last guy.” Bella says from her seat opposite her sister. 

“Yeah well, this one has his own apartment.” 

“Mine didn’t.” 

“Sonny,” Tessa Carisi interrupts her two daughters before it could escalate into anything, addressing her oddly silent son, “When are  _ you  _ going to bring me someone to meet?” 

Sonny looks up from his plate, glancing between the members of his immediate family. It really was just the Carisi’s tonight, Tommy having taken his niece to a movie.

Sonny shrugs noncommittally, “I’m seeing someone.” 

Despite his nonchalance, the statement grabs his mother’s attention, “Oh? For how long?” 

At this point Sonny probably should have taken heed of his Bella’s warning look, silently telling him to brush it off as nothing and to not speak more on the subject. But Sonny was feeling emboldened, and after spending all of yesterday with the man in question he didn’t think twice before speaking. 

“A long while, maybe you guys could meet next week at dinner.” 

Bella put her head in her hands.

His mother’s face lit up, “Really? That’s a first. So why don’t you tell us about her?” 

“Well,” He says as he sticks his fork in a slice of roast beef, “First of all she’s a he.” 

All goes quiet, the sound of scratching forks and murmured conversation between Teresa and Dominick Sr. cease. There’s a soft ‘oh my god’ from the youngest Carisi sibling as Sonny chews the roast beef he shoved in his mouth. He looks between each family member, gauging their reactions. 

Bella is only looking at Sonny, as if she too fears the reaction from the rest of the family. Gina stares down at her plate, pushing mashed potatoes in a circle while Teresa and Dominick Sr. share a glance. Tessa isn’t quite looking at her son but at a point over his shoulder, and he can see the wheels turning in her head. 

“Oh.” She says after a long while. 

Sonny nods, “Yeah.”

They don’t talk about it anymore after that, Bella thankfully moving the conversation to her daughter and how she’s liking school. Sonny is grateful. 

+

“Are you sure about this?” Rafael asks for probably the hundredth time that day, and the thousandth time that week. Sonny sighs.

“Yes I’m sure. It’s going to be fine, Raf. What, are you that worried they won’t like you?” That last sentiment was tacked on with the hint of a joking tone. Rafael rolls his eyes.

“It’s not me I’m worried about.” 

Sonny frowns. He had told Rafael about what had happened at dinner that night, and that he would be joining him the next week. Rafael wasn’t the most enthused to meet his parents after that. Sonny thought bringing him around could really do some good, make them realize that he was a person too. He wasn’t too worried about his sisters, especially Bella. Bella loved Rafael, and she was the first one in the family to become aware of the romantic relationship between the lawyer and her older brother. And to think that was an accident. 

But now they are deliberately standing in front of the house where Sonny spent long summer days and sleepless school nights. Without knocking and before Rafael could back out Sonny opens the front door and steps inside. 

The first person to notice them is Bella, and when she does she gasps. 

“Well if it isn’t Rafael Barba! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” She immediately rushes up to him and wraps him in a constricting hug. It takes a moment for Rafael to catch his breath. 

“Nice to see you too. How’ve you been?” He asks as she pulls away but keeps a tight grip on his forearms. 

She smiles, “Great! Yeah. Hey, you remember Amber don’t you?” She nudges the little girl at her legs closer as she yells over her shoulder, “Tommy! Look who’s here!” 

Rafael greets his partner’s niece while Tommy pokes his head around the corner. He smiles before heading towards the group. 

“Sonny and Mr. Barba, how’s it going?” He says shaking both of their hands firmly. 

“Not too bad, thought it was about time I brought the boyfriend around.” Sonny says, ignoring the look Rafael shoots him (he hates that term, ‘what are we, high schoolers?’). The smile he flashes not quite reaching his eyes. Tommy nods in understanding. 

“Good luck.” He says with a pat to his brother-in-law’s shoulder. 

Sonny then guides Rafael into the living room where the rest of his family is. All eyes are on them as soon as they cross the threshold. Sonny clears his throat.

“Guys, this is Rafael Barba, my partner. Raf these are my sisters: Teresa, Gina and you know Bella, and my mom and dad.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Rafael.” Terasa is the first to speak. 

“He’s a big shot lawyer.” Bella says, gesturing towards him with her wine glass. 

“A lawyer, huh?” Gina asks with a quirked brow. 

“Hey don’t get any ideas, he’s already spoken for. Besides, what happened to ‘he’s the one’?” Sonny says as he flops down on the couch, Rafael perching on the arm of it. 

“Oh you’re no fun, Sonny.”

“He’s the one that worked Tommy’s rape case.” Bella says, ignoring her siblings' squabbling. 

“So you and Sonny work together?” Tessa asks. 

Rafael nods, “I had worked with the Manhattan SVU for a short while before Sonny showed up.” 

“He was charmed by the mustache, I’m sure.” Dominick Sr. says with a smirk. 

Sonny grimaced while Rafael gave a light laugh, “I don’t think SVU was quite ready for that.”

The living room erupted into laughter at Sonny’s choice of facial hair. As it dies down Tessa turns to Sonny.

“Sonny, why don’t you help me set the table? Mr. Barba can get settled.” 

Sonny and Rafael shared a quick glance before Sonny stands, “Sure thing, Ma.” 

The two of them disappear into the kitchen, Rafael watching them go. 

“You want something to drink?” Dominick Sr. asks. Rafael looks over at him and feels some of the tension leave his shoulders. 

“Scotch if you have it would be great.” He says. 

“Sonny said you would say that.” Teresa says as her father stands from his chair. 

Meanwhile in the kitchen Sonny works quietly alongside his mother, gathering plates and utensils. As they set to setting up everyone’s places, Tessa speaks. 

“Did the two of you really meet at work?” 

“Yes. He works for the DAs office.” Sonny says without looking away from his task. His heartbeat quickens slightly, and he can feel the pound of it against his ribcage. 

“So he’s the one that’s been helping you study?” 

“That’s right.” He speaks carefully, not sure where his mother is going with this.

They went silent then, and when they finished setting the table they went into the kitchen. As Sonny is transferring the pasta to a bowl the silence is broken.

“You still talk to that nice Amanda girl?” 

Sonny freezes, pot handle clutched tightly in his hand as he let the implications of the question wash over him like cold water. 

“Yes Ma, she’s my partner and friend. Of course I still talk to her. What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s just,” Tessa trails off, wiping her hands on a hand towel, “Wouldn’t you want someone who, ya know, can give you the life I know you’ve always wanted?”

“Oh for the love of…” He scrubs his face with his hands. 

She’s quick to turn fully to face her son, “I’m just looking out for you, hon. I know how important family is to you and I just don’t think he can give you what you want out of a relationship.” 

“Mom, please. You haven’t even talked to him properly. Where is this even coming from? You have never had an issue with this kind of thing before, you even chewed out aunt Steph for sayin’ shit when gay marriage was legalized. I just don’t understand.” Sonny could feel the anger and frustration building in his gut. She didn’t know the man sitting out in her living room, wasn’t even going to give him a chance. 

Tessa sighs. Her head is down as she fidgets with the hem of her apron. 

“It’s different when it’s your own kid.” She looks up at Sonny, eyes saddened, “What those other people do is none of my business, it shouldn’t be anyone’s. But you imagine what your children’s futures are gonna be like, ya know? They’re gonna grow up and be happy and get married, have kids and grow old. I wanted that for you; to grow up and marry a nice woman who could help me in the kitchen and bring you children. I guess, I guess I don’t want to let that dream go.”

Her words turned watery at the end, and Sonny couldn’t stand to be the one to make his mother cry. Any anger he may have felt dissipated, replaced with sympathy.

“Ma…” 

“I just want you to be happy.” She says, her voice cracking. She looks Sonny in the eyes and he can see the tears gathered there. Sonny gives her a light smile.

“I am happy. He makes me so incredibly happy. And hey, the whole kids thing, that’s what adoptions for, right? I’m not sacrificing anything to be with him, okay? I love ‘im.” He says, grabbing her hands. 

She huffs a wet laugh, “Can he even cook?” 

Sonny snorts, “Not really. But hey, if Nonna taught me anything it was how to cook for a man.” 

Tessa laughs again, lightly punching him in the arm. 

“Can you promise me you’ll at least give him a chance?” He asks. 

She takes in a breath before replying, “Fine, I will give Mr. Barba a chance.”

She grabs a bowl from the counter and starts to head into the dining room, but Sonny stops her, “Oh and Ma? Just call him Rafael.”

+

“That went well.” Rafael says from the passenger seat, “They even said I could come back.”

“Are you surprised or something?” Sonny asks, sparing a glance to his passenger as he drives. 

Rafael shrugs, “I mean a little. But I was not surprised about the volume.” 

That gets a chuckle out of Sonny. Dinner really did go well, the rest of the family talking openly with their new guest while his mother opted to just watch for the first half of the meal. When she did speak she asked him about his background, where he went to school, what his family was like, where he was from. His answers were short, but sufficient for Tessa Carisi. 

She warmed up to him pretty quickly. 

Rafael helped clear the plates, despite Tessa insisting he sit back down as he was their guest. When the two reemerged from the kitchen they were both grinning, and Sonny didn’t trust what they had discussed away from the table (if Sonny had to guess it was her promising to show him Sonny’s baby photos someday). They were sent on their way with several containers of leftovers and promises to do dinner again soon, Sonny making the additional promise to drive safe.

Sonny knows it’s going to take his mother (and probably his father as well, but he was just better at hiding it) to get used to this change. He understands that you have this idea of what your kid’s future is going to look like their entire lives, only to have it suddenly pulled out from under you and that can be very jarring. But he knows they love him and will support him in whatever makes him happy, even if it’ll take a little extra time this go around. Besides, he’s pretty sure his parents already love Rafael Barba, despite his reputation with first impressions. 

All in all Sonny deems it a success. 


End file.
